With The Aid Of An Angel
by ah0y-carina
Summary: JT Yorke died years ago, but he never really left. He's back in Degrassi, knowing that he needs to help someone, his life at Degrassi isn't complete. So he turns to Clare, sure that he wants to help her, guiding her throughout life. But...why?
1. Who are you?

I stared at the clock on the wall, moving my eyes away from his strange stare. I watched the seconds ticking, willing the clock to slow down so I wouldn't have to stand up and approach the guy staring at me. My heart beat harder as the realization hit me that I was really truly alone in this class. None of my friends were here, so I couldn't walk past him and laugh along with someone, like I didn't see him. I had no on here to protect me from the little exchange with someone who was staring at me like a complete psychopath. I mean, what if he was a serial—

"Clare!" Mrs. Vega said, snapping me back to reality, my head turning to look up at her as she hovered over my desk. "Did you hear me? What did I just say?"

"Uhh… "I hesitated, this never ever happened to me. I was the good one, looking forward, taking notes all throughout class. I'm never distracted. "Well you were saying something about…" Suddenly the ending bell rang loudly and the whole class shifted, getting out of their seats. Mrs. Vega sighed and walked back to the desk, I wasn't her responsibility after the class ended. _Saved by the bell. _I exhaled and gather my books, looking up to see the guy was still standing there, leaning against the doorframe.

Okay, I wasn't exactly _saved _by the bell, I could very well be close to being killed by the bell. I mean, who was this guy, and how come no other head was turned toward him? Did they know something I didn't? Was he like…a visiting college student? But he would have walked in, wouldn't he?

I stood up, my legs feeling shaky, I was nearly the last person in the classroom. Holding my books, I headed for the door, adverting my eyes, hoping he wasn't going to say anything to me.

Of course he did, my life would be too easy if he didn't. He looked at me with those brown eyes, running a hand through his wispy hair, which was slightly darker than his eyes. He didn't look much older than me, a year maybe. When he spoke, it had a jokey tone that told me he was probably class clown and a smile that shone through his talking. "You're Clare Edwards, aren't you? I've heard a lot about you."

"Yes…" I hesitated, who told him about me? "I'm Clare, how…do you know me?"

Then the boy glanced at me with this confused look, like I was the crazy one who'd been staring at him from the door for a good hour. I bit my lip, watching him, trying to figure out if I was supposed to know him. He didn't look like a relative, we had no similarities whatsoever. I don't think he's been in any of my classes and I hadn't seen any pictures of him, so he couldn't have been super popular. Besides, if he expected me to know him just for being popular, that would make him conceded, and honestly he didn't look full of himself at all.

Finally he managed to say, "You don't know who I am?"

I shook my head briskly, getting ready to make a swift escape. "Am I supposed to?" I choked out, feeling my heart beat faster and faster. I kept wondering who he was and how he knew me. He looked innocent, but maybe that's how psychopaths were, they didn't even realized what they were and went about it calmly. How did he even get into the school?

He looked over me again, a confused expression lingering. "Here, follow me."

"No, really. I can't. I have drama next and I have to go all the way—"

"Just down the hall, I know where the theater is. Besides, this is more important," He interjected, taking my hand and leading me down the hallway, around the corner. He glanced at me and probably noticed my uneasy expression, and muttered something to himself. Then he said, "Nothing can happen, we're in the middle of a hallway filled with high school students. Nothing's going to happen to you. "

I guess he was trying to offer me some sort of consolation and I nodded slowly, blushing slightly and continued walking, trying to keep some sense of normalcy. He was right, I wasn't alone in the hallway, people would surround me for three or four more minutes. I looked around, walking at a pace closer to his, surprised when he stopped outside the glass room in the school.

"Clare, I know you're a smart girl, and I know you can put two and two together." I glanced at him, while he was looking inside the room, his eyes searching the empty space. "Now, look in this room. " He pressed his palm against the cold glass. "And I want you to tell me who I am."

I looked at him like he was deranged. "How am I supposed to figure out who you are by looking in an empty room?"

He shook his head. "Just look, you'll figure it out."

I nodded slowly and did what he said, but nothing looked any different. I looked at the benches, where I sometimes would sit with Alli, Eli or Adam. I looked at the walls, completely made of glass, which didn't look any different. They were stained with fingerprints as always. Then my eyes moved on to the many plants that were there, barely taken for. I figured they would be replaced by fake ones soon. Finally, I looked at the plaque for James Tiberius Yorke. I didn't know much about him, just that he was killed by some kids from Lakehurst when they were still a separate school.

My eyes finally found what I knew he wanted to me to find, a picture of the wispy haired boy that it was dedicated to.

And I felt my breath catch and my eyes water slightly, my hands shake slightly, all because I knew exactly who this boy was. He was the boy watching me during my last period, who expected me to know who he was, who dragged me over to this room. The one with a palm pressed against the glass, looking at me. "Nice to meet you, Clare, I'm JT Yorke." He smiled slightly and put out a hand for me to shake.

I didn't take it. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

**So there it is, JT Yorke is back. **

**I had to write this, I wanted a way for JT to still be here, he was my favorite character for so long. I cried when they killed him off. A lot. **

**Tell me what you think. Reviews are nice :D **

**Do you miss him as much as I do?**


	2. Proof

"Nuh uh. You are not JT Yorke." I stated for the third time in a row, looking into his brown eyes. They weren't what a ghost's would look like, at least now how the typical kind would. They were as alert as ever, there was no absence or milkiness to them. His hair looked as human as others, his face looked normal, there was no wave around the edges that showed he was barely there. And when he took my hand and led me to the room, I felt it completly, just like i would with any other person.

He could not be a ghost. He was too real.

"JT" shook his head slowly, looking at me with these worried eyes, I guess he was upset that I didn't believe this little lie he was trying to tell me. I watched as he said slowly, "I am, really. Just let me explain this to you."

I bit my lip, looking at him with the best therapist look I could manage. "Listen, whoever you are, we can talk about this. I don't know why you're pretending to be JT and why you're trying to convince me you are, but I know you're not a ghost, you're not JT-"

"Clare, who are you talking to?" A familiar voice asked, making me turn to my right, away from the boy.

There he was, KC Gunthrie, looking at me with his beautiful light eyes filled with confusion. He ruffled his caramel colored hair and moved his eyes to my arms, where I clutched my books from my last class. Then his eyes moved to the glass, where I left one of my hands. When his eyes moved back to mine, I cocked my head and looked at him. He _had_ to be crazy, "JT" was standing right next to me. Did he know something I didn't? Was this some sort of prank, or was this JT's long lost twin brother coming here to honor him?

"What do you mean, KC?" I asked as I felt a hand land on my shoulder. I shrugged it off.

"No," JT instructed, moving his hand back. I felt a chill run up my back. He took a slow breath, probably deciding how KC was going to react, just like I was. But my ex-boyfriend was meerly staring at me, measuring my expression. Finally, "JT" finished, "Don't tell him. I'll tell you what to say."

KC finally explained, "You weren't talking to anyone. I mean, no one's around you. Everyone emptied the hall, we should probably get to drama class."

"No, don't you see him? He's right here," I replied, gesturing to "JT". He shook his head rapidly at me with an expression that said, _"I didn't tell you to say that!"_

I sighed, looking back at KC, who's eyes swept to where "JT" was and then back to me. His eyes looked worried, filled with confusion, like he _didn't _see him, but I knew he couldn't have missed him, how do you miss a six foot boy standing just a foot away. He bit his lip, taking my hand. I glanced down at our hands and then back at him, but I didn't see what I expected, there was no romance. (_Not _that I wanted any. I'm over him. I promise) Instead there was worry, a deep worry that was evident in his voice when he said, "Clare? Are you okay? I mean, there's nothing there."

I gaped at him, forcing myself not to open my mouth. "JT's" voice started up next to me, "Okay, you kind of just made it worse." He hesitated, as if he were thinking. A short moment later, he told me, "I heard you were a good actress, first laugh. Then tell him you're practicing for your audition for a play."

I shook my head slightly, but when I saw KC's worried look, I started laughing. "KC, I was just practicing or my audition. I'm going for lead in a play."

He smiled at me, satisfied with the idea that I was just practicing. "Really? That's great...but is that really one of the lines in the play?"

_Uh oh, _I thought to myself, running a hand through my hair nervously. Stalling, unsure what to tell him. Luckly, a directing voice began and I heard the next set of instructions. "Method acting, tell him it's what your character would do."

I nodded, smiling slightly at KC. "No, it's not an actual _line, _but I think it's what the character would say. I really want to get the lead, so I'm trying method acting. Was I...convincing?"

He laughed, a sound I had missed terribly. "Yeah, Clare, you were pretty convincing. I have to say, I didn't know you had it in you." I laughed along with him as the realization hit that we were actually _connecting._ That's never happened before, not since the breakup. And it was all because of this guy...that KC couldn't see.

This guy who wasn't seen by anyone else, wasn't heard by anyone else. This guy who told me he was dead, who helped me reconnect with my ex boyfriend. The guy who actually helped me, even though I was convinced he was lying...Oh my god. He _is _JT.

"Well, we should probably get to class," I offered, looking down the hall. We were the only two left in the hall, the bell was sure to ring soon.

"Yeah," he replied, realizing he was holding my hand. He let go and started down the hall. I followed him.

I was so happy and content that I actually believed JT when he told me. "See, Clare. I'm here to help you, just like I just did. I'm JT, and I want to help you get through high school." I nodded in reply, a small smile playing on my lips.

**This was fun to write :D**

**And I had a good reaction on the last chapter, so **_**thank you. **_**Love you all.**

**You know, tell me what you think. If there's anything you really loved or anything you don't like.**


	3. And I Wonder

Drama class ended rather quickly, thankfully. I was actually dying to get back to JT. I mean, he was a ghost, I guess, and I kept wondering why he chose me, why he was here instead of like...heaven, I just wanted some answers. I didn't doubt that he was a good person, he'd helped me with KC already, and he handled it so well, i figured i could learn something from him, like how to handle things with my current friends, Adam and Eli. Well more Eli...Adam was a little easier to manage.

Anyway, I was instantly relieved to see him leaning cooley against the wall, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He imedietly smiled at me and said, "How was Drama?"

I nodded, looking around first to see if anyone was looking my way. "It was good...it's lunchtime. So we should probably go somewhere, to talk."

He shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

I rolled my eyes slightly, "What do you think I want to know?" He just looked at me, this confused expression on his face, I guess he was always like that, maybe JT was just a good hearted boy who always seemed lost...in a way. Wait; add that to my little list of things I want to know, I want to know who he was when he went to Degrassi. I'm pretty sure he was around even before Degrassi was a high school. Trust me, that was quite a while ago.

He nodded slowly and motioned for me to follow him.

I did. Of course I did. I wanted to know everything.

So I followed the wispy haired boy down the hall, and out the front doors of the school, not without looking first, of course. The only person who saw me was Adam and Eli, who both raised an eyebrow. I shrugged, pushing the front door open, only keeping the gaze long enough to see Eli smirk, mouthing "St. Clare isn't such a saint anymore." I rolled my eyes; skipping _lunch _was hardly a un-saintly act.

"Eli Goldsworthy," JT stated in a matter-of-fact voice. I glanced at him, having no idea where he was going with this.

"What about him?" I questioned, glancing back at the school which was a hundred yards or so away.

"Eli, he's something I'm going to need to help you with, isn't he?" I felt all the blood rush to my face. I should have guessed, since JT Yorke seemed to be the all knowing being. He glanced back at me for a moment, then set his eyes in front of him, continuing to walk. "I've seen you around him. I can help you with that, you know. It's what I'm here for."

Still blushing, I slowed down so I trailed a few more feet behind him. "I don't need help." 

JT scoffed, showing me how much he _didn't_ believe that little statement of mine. I wasn't sure if I believed it either, but Eli was older than me and I've never dated anyone older. Who am I kidding? I've barely dated _anybody. _I quickly wondered if JT could read my thoughts and swiftly rushed the thought out of my mind.

He turned a corner and I saw him gesture to something, but I couldn't see it just yet. He opened his arms, saying, "Here we are. We won't be bothered here."

Before I could even see where he'd taken me, I scoffed. "_We? _I'm the one who's going have to explain why I was talking to myself like I was deranged."

He shook his head. "Yes, we. I'm the one who will have to talk you through it, aren't I?" I let the conversation drop. Mostly because I saw where he took me.

It was a wide stretch of green grass, spreading in all directions. A ring of flowers surrounded a gazebo, which has vines wrapped around its steel bars. Overhead, the sun beat down on the last of the morning dew, which was still slightly sparkling. My jaw dropped, it was so beautiful. JT disregarded me, walking over to the gazebo, expecting me to follow. I was awestricken, but eventually I followed, sitting across from him.

He leaned back, watching as I composed myself. I guess when I looked like I had a hold of myself, he began, "Questions? Concerns? I know you have some. And now's the time to ask."

I shrugged, gazing into his eyes, fully aware. "Okay, first things first, what is this place?"

He nodded slowly, explaining. "It's a private park, not many people have access to it—"

"_And you do?"_ I interrupted, I didn't think he was high-class.

He rolled his eyes. "Please save questions for the ending." I looked down, hoping he got the hint I was sorry, he did. "Thank you. Anyway, I found this with my friend...Toby." I bit my lip, I guess thinking of his old friends who went on without him, well it must be painful. "And I came here when I needed to get away, see, my life got complicated when it came to high school. A lot happened, a lot that deserves to be told at a later time."

This look of seriousness crossed his face. I didn't think he could be that serious. _I wonder how complicated his life was... _

"Other than an escape, I brought my girlfriend here a lot. Liberty...Van Zandt." I watched as he played with his hands. "Trust me, this place is a safe haven."

I nodded slowly, thinking that through. He leaned back, relaxing a bit. I watched as this smile sprung on his face, "Next question."

**I used this one to add some depth to JT, since you and I both know he's a very complicated character. And a lot happened to him.**

**And drop a few hints about which romantic pair is in this story *wink, wink***

**And of course, a little twist of sadness on JT's part. Why? Because he's a ghost, I mean, he's wondering how far his old friends have gotten. And they have gotten far, but more on that later in the story. **

**So, tell me what you think. :D I really love reviews ;)**


	4. It Makes Too Much Sense

It'd been talking to JT for almost an hour now, I'd asked him about his past, how he grew up. When I asked what he was like in highschool, he soffed, saying he was surprised that his wonderful legacy didn't go on. Then he spent a good twenty minutes explaining how he was class clown, worked on a children's show and the jobs he had. He didn't tell me much about Liberty, Mia, or Manny, I figured he didn't want to go too far into that.

I probably should have left the little "Degrassi Alumni" thing alone, but I didn't, asking him, "Do you ever wonder what happened to all those people you used to know?"

He shrugged, a slight smile appearing on his face. It didn't seem fit for the moment, until he told me what he was thinking, "I'm sure they all turned out fine. Went to college and such...Yeah, I'd like to know where they are."

I bit my lip. "Actually, there's someone who works at the dot, Peter. I don't know if you know him, but he dated Mia after he dated my sister. He dated some girl named Emma too, if you'd like to know... I could ask him about it. Exchange for you helping me."

His face sort of lit up, like a lightbulb went off in his head. Obviously what I had said appealed to him. "Okay, it's a deal."

I smiled slightly, I figured he deserved something in return. JT leaned back against the wall of the gazebo, this smile on his face while he thought that through. I didn't mind being around him anymore, for some reason, this all seemed real to me. Surreal, even. And I sort of liked knowing that he came to me, of all people. _Oh yeah, _I wanted to ask him that.

"JT," I began, getting his attention. His head snapped back to me. "Why did you choose me?"

He sighed heavily, I guess he was dreading when this question came around. "I don't know, you're a smart, bright kid. And you were one of the few who had the ability to see me, if I wanted them to..." I took that pause to wonder who else had the ablility to see him, I had to ask him that too. "And you remind me of someone I loved, studious, sweet, beautiful..."

He let the sentence trail, _I wonder who he loved so much..._ But I didn't want to ask him that, because I felt I wouldn't get the answer anyway. That was probably something he kept to himself.

I nodded slowly. "Okay...who else has the ability to see you?"

JT didn't expect that question and he glanced at his watch, which I had noticed was stuck on a certain time. It must be the time the battery finally gave out...since no one would be there to change it. "Oh, look at the time. You're gonna miss fourth period-"

I shook my head, "Big deal, it's just English. Eli will lend me his notes." JT started to get up, but I reached out and grabbed his hand, which didn't feel solid, for the first time.

Either way, it stopped him and he sat down, his cheeks glowing a light red. "You really won't care." I looked at him, making sure to send him a clear, concise message. He got it. "Fine, there's exactly three people in your school who would be able to see me. And trust me, I have no idea why they do, I just know they can. The first being _you_."

"Yeah, I probably could have guessed that myself." He rolled his eyes, and I glanced into then, as if I was telling him to move on.

"The second would be... Drew." He paused and I thought that through, _Adam's brother? Alli's boyfriend? _I wanted to ask JT why he had some sort of special ability, but he didn't know. I could ask the same question about myself, _Why am I so special that I see you? _

I could probably wonder about that for a long time.

"And the last one would be..." I urged him on, gesturing to him. He didn't say anything.

Finally he did, and the words that came out of his mouth were, "Eli Goldsworthy can see me too."

I bit my lip, the world seemed to fall silent for a moment. Eli, who was supposedly obsessed with death, could in fact see a dead boy. I started speaking, but the words came out quicker than expected, "What?thatmakesthemostse-" I paused, slowing down. "That makes the most sense, a boy supposedly 'obsessed' with death, can in fact see someone who's dead. " JT shrugged, leaning forward.

"That's the problem. It makes _too much _sense, while the deal with you and Drew, well it makes none. Trust me, Clare, this is just as confusing to me."

I nodded slowly, looking up at his face, which was serious and had an aura of confusion. It was strange, the way this conversation bounced from happy, to serious, to plainly sad. Sometimes he would smirk, saying things that would make me fight a laugh, and sometimes he looked so serious, I was scared to say something.

"We done here?" He asked, a slight smile on his face. He obviously wanted to leave that little conversation behind.

I nodded, bouncing up in a faux perky way. I guess I was a good actor, because he chuckled and stood up, a smirk on his face, "So, since you skipped class, do you wanna go back to being saintly again, or do you want to skip the rest of school?"

I rolled my eyes. "You know about the _St. Clare _thing too?"

JT laughed, "Of course, I know everything."

I sighed, pretending to think, although I found had already decided one choice was much more appealing. "I think school's done for the day, I'm going home if you'd like to come."

He laughed, "Nah, you go have your fun. I'm gonna go spy on your classmates."

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he smirked. We walked in opposite directions. I'd have a lot of thinking to do on my own today.

**Okay...there it is ;)  
Thanks for all the positive reviews, guys! I love hearing from you.**

**Soo... what do you think of this chapter? Anything you really like or are really wondering about? Tell me **


	5. What if it was only just a dream?

There he stood, right in front of me, his eyes smoky and unreadable, his hair flying back with the wind. It's like I had seen this before, the deep fog at our ankles, him being only a couple feet away from me in this strange world. He didn't say anything, didn't move, like he was waiting for me to come to him, but I didn't know how to move. Then there was this soft voice coming from behind me, whispering to me, telling me what to do. And I moved toward him, pulling myself into his arms. I glanced back to see the voice, but I already knew who it would be...

I awoke with a sharp gasp, sitting upright in my bed. I was home, there was no fog, no voice, and most definetly no Eli standing in front of me.

How could I be dreaming about him _again? _

I sighed, putting my head in my hands, trying to seperate the dream from reality, I mean, a lot of it was unbelievable, but I had a vague memory of that guy, JT Yorke coming to talk to me, that seemed less believable than the second half of the dream.

There was a soft, almost inaudible knock on my door. I glanced at the clock, it was only eleven. I probably was asleep for a half an hour, maybe less. I whispered a soft, "Come in".

"Clare?" A voice asked, but of course it wasn't one of my parents. It was JT. Just when I was starting to think that was a dream. I sighed heavily, ignoring his inevitable eye roll. "You were asleep? It's only eleven, learn to live a little."

I rolled my eyes, "I have school tomorrow, I need to sleep."

He laughed, a smile appearing on his face, I hardly understood this guy. Was that amusing to him? Then again, everything must be amusing to him, he said he went back to the school to spy on my classmates. I guess that's all you had to do when you were a ghost. I watched him as he took a seat in front of my computer, which I had left open to my unfinished English paper. He closed the window and opened up my instant messaging sevice.

I raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing, JT?"

JT shrugged, looking over the list of people who were logged on. "You are going to have some fun, trust me, you need it." He double clicked on Eli's name and a browser came up. He started typing. "Now, go get changed. Something not so...slept in."

"JT..." I let his name trail, unsure about what I wanted to say. "I'm telling you, I need sleep."

He rolled his eyes, turning to me just as a little ding sounded, Eli's message appearing on the computer. It was too far away to read. "Clare bear," I winced a bit at that. He really did know everything, didn't he? "Go get dressed, this is what you need to do if you want to have some fun with _Eli._"

I blushed, feeling my face get hot. "But school-"

JT sighed deeply, looking at me. "You have perfect marks, drink some coffee tomorrow, you'll be alert enough for class. Then you catch up on sleep tomorrow night."

I sighed, getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom. All I needed to do was brush my hair a bit and change into something other than my pajamas. I replaced the silky fabric with a skirt of a moderate length and a blouse overtop of it. I glanced in the mirror nervously, I wasn't sure what I was exactly up for. What did JT have planned?

I walked back out into my room, no one was there. On a post it covering the computer screen it said _"I'm in the front, meet me there when you're done. -JT" _I could see the lines of the im chat under the post it. I peeled it off and looked at the conversation.

**Clare-e23: **Eli, you there? I know it's kinda late, but my parents were fighting again...and I need someone to talk to.

**Eli-gold49: **Yeah, I'm here. They're fighting again?

**Clare-e23: **Yeah, again. I was wondering if we could go somewhere, get away from it all?

**Eli-gold49: **Sure, where do you wanna go?

**Clare-e23: **Meet me in front of Rosebud Park.

**Eli-gold49: **Are you even allowed in there.

**Clare-e23: **Maybe...

**Eli-gold49: **I see... be there in ten.

My mouth flew open, what did JT just get me into? I mean, I couldn't just _not _show up, this was Eli for crying out loud. And I couldn't show up, I mean, Rosebud was a private park, the one that JT took me too this morning. Oh...great. I rushed down stairs, making sure to advoid that one creaky step. I slipped out the door silently.

JT was standing right in front of me, his arms crossed.

"JT! What did you get me into? I can't just go to Eli and lie about my parents fighting!" I yelled at first, but he made a signal to calm down, muttering something about not sneaking out correctly. Of course I wasn't doing it right, i've never snuck out before.

"You won't be _lying. _You're parents are fighting all the time now, and you won't even have to talk about that." He started walking, and I followed him. I don't know why, but I did. "Clare, you're gonna enjoy this."

I huffed, crossing my arms stubbornly. "I'm starting to think you're doing this for your own enjoyment."

He laughed softly, "You just figured that out?" He rolled his eyes, smiling cockily. "But really, I'm helping you too. You know, killing two birds with one stone."

I rolled my eyes, looking into the distance. I bet JT was living out the rest of his high school years through me. He was trying to help, but he obviously didn't realize _I _wasn't the type to do this kind of stuff, but I was because he "knew me so well." I sighed, looking out at the sky, which was covered with a thick fog. Was that a good sign? Or a bad one?

I wasn't sure.

**Well, there's the start of more "help" from Mr. James Tiberious Yorke.**

**More Eclare coming soon, since JT really wants to help here with that.**

**Such a sweet soul ;)**

**I'd love if you'd tell me what you think :D**


	6. Just Some Questions

"I'm supposed to be the sensible one! This is _hardly _sensible," I stated stubbornly, slamming a hand into JT's side. Once again, his torso didn't feel solid and even though my hand stopped, if felt more as if I hadn't hit anything at all. He looked at me and smirked, it was the only typical ghost action I got from Sir _James Tiberius Yorke_. I sighed as the park appeared just across the street, you could see it clearly through the thin black fence. This was obviously wrong...

"You are the sensible one," he replied, stopping at the crosswalk, even though I couldn't see any cars in any direction. "And I'm the one who thinks you need to change that."

After looking back and forth twice, we crossed the street, and walked over to the front of the park, just as Eli's car pulled up and he parked it, slipping out easily. "Hey, Clare," he said slowly as he walked, swinging his keys around his index finger. He was measuring my expression, which was probably annoyed, not exactly expected.

"Hi, Eli," I muttered softly, as he stopped just a foot or two away from me.

"So..." he paused, looking at the gate, securely locked. "What are we doing here? I've tried getting in there, it's not possible."

JT scoffed, something that would have annoyed Eli, if he had heard him. I forced myself not to roll my eyes and bit my lip, wondering how to phrase it right. I expected JT to jump in, but he stayed silent, except for a hand on my shoulder, telling me to say something. So I did. "I actually know a way in, follow me."

Eli shrugged when I began walking behind JT, who was the only one who knew the way. We wound half way around the park until we reached a little garden, with thick bushes forming a corner that hid the back corner of it. I knew where to go from here, it was obvious, well if you actually believed there was a way in. "Just this way..." I instructed, walking into the garden.

JT stopped, walking to the wall, I glanced at him. I couldn't ask him anything with Eli around, but he got the hint and explained, "Oh, you don't need me, you can take it from here." I swear, my jaw felt twenty pounds at that point and I had to fight to keep it closed. "I'll be...around."

I watched as he walked away.

"Clare? You realize we're in the middle of a _closed _garden, right?" Eli, said with a soft chuckle. _Take it from here? _No, I couldn't, I didn't know how to do any of this.

I shook my head slowly and turned to Eli, half-smiling. "Actually it's not closed." The least I could do was try, live my own life. "C'mon," I began, unsure if I was supposed to reach for his hand. Maybe if I didn't blush or anything, he would just take it as me guiding him. So I did, I took his hand and tugged it, pulling him to the far corner.

We slipped through the brush and walked through that small path someone had created, turning the final corner, until we were in front of the gazebo again. I heard a soft, "Wow." from Eli and looked over the park. It was even more majestic at night, with a thin layer of fog covering the dewy grass. Beautiful, breathtaking, there were a lot of words for this.

"How did you figure it out?" He asked, walking with me when I started pulling him toward the gazebo.

"Figure what out?" I questioned innocently, sitting in the white structure.

"The little path thing," he began, sitting down next to me. I was pretty sure that wasn't conciously and when he lost that awestruck feeling, he would move across from me, to the same place JT was sitting early this morning. "How did you find it?"

"Oh..." I stopped for a moment. "A friend and I found it. Or he found it first...he won't tell me." Not a _complete _lie.

He nodded slowly, looking around for a moment before calming down and moving his eyes to mine. "So...your parents...fighting." He had a sort of empathetic look at first, but then it dissapated, his mouth half-upturned into a slight smile. "My guess is you don't want to talk about that, so let's move on." He shrugged and smiled a little wider.

I giggled as a thought came to mind, so effortlessly. "How about we survey eachother."

"Survey eachother?" He chuckled. "What, is that something you and your friends do at your slumber parties?"

I shook my head, smiling up at him. "No, not exactly... this is a different version." 

"Oh, it is? How could it be different from you're girly ways." 

I rolled my eyes, turning so one leg slipped onto the bench, the same way he was positioned, that way I was facing him. "Girls do it differently, this way it's more of just...asking questions." He raised an eyebrow and nodded, as if to say 'go on'. "Like I ask you a question, then you would answer and I would tell you what my answer would be. Then you ask the question. Simple."

He nodded slowly, "Yeah, simple enough. I'll go first." I looked at him and raised an eyebrow, the reaction didn't take any thought, I just did it. "What? You know I'm going to come up with the _best _questions." He smirked.

I leaned back a bit, crossing my arms, a slight smile on my lips. "Okay, go ahead."

Eli paused, thinking of that "oh-so-great" question of his. "Okay," he began, leaning forward. "If you could go somewhere, _anywhere_ in the world right now, where would it be?"

I scoffed playfully, "That's what you came up with?" Then I smiled softly, clasping my hands together. "I'm not sure, I always wanted to visit Spain." I looked up and caught his gaze, which was completely calm at the moment. And then, the words sort of spilled out of my mouth, "But right now, I don't think that there's anywhere else I'd like to be."

I hesitated, my eyes getting a little wide after I said that. He smiled, this satisfied look on his face and turned, leaning against the wall of the gazebo.

I guess that's the end of the game.

**:D That was cute, don't you think so?**


	7. I See Things When I'm Tired

When I woke up, I felt a bit groggy and my neck was sort of still, I turned over before opening my eyes, but ended up on the edge and my eyes shot open. All I saw was this white lattice and painted wood dropping down from where I was. I immedietly sat up and my eyes widened at what I saw.

I was in Rosebud park, still and Eli was asleep next to me, still sitting up. I looked at him, how peaceful he was in his sleep, how innocent. But I knew neither of us where innocent, we weren't supposed to be here, and we _fell asleep _here. And even more importantly, I fell asleep with my head lying in his lap and I wasn't even aware of it. I bit my lip, school would be starting soon.

And, _where was JT?_

Suddenly, Eli yawned and opened his eyes, glancing over at me. I ran a hand through my curls. "Morning," he said with a slight smirk. He didn't seem as tense as I.

"Morning Eli," I began, playing with a strand of hair guiltily.

"What's wrong, Clare?" He asked, shaking out his hair. I shrugged in reply, but he knew better, _of course. _"Really, tell me."

I sighed, and looked at him. "Why are we still here? We're not supposed to be here, and school's gonna start soon. And my parents are gonna be mad and-"

He put a hand on my leg, a small signal telling me to stop talking. "Clare, it's okay, I'll drive us to school, we didn't get caught and just tell your parents you had to get to school early. We were... working on a project or something. Really, it was a nice night. We talked for a couple hours, fell asleep, completely innocent."

I tried to believe that, but I couldn't. I was _hardly _innocent. I ran my hand through my hair again, mezmorized when he stopped my hand and held it for a moment longer than expected. Then he dropped it and assured me, "We'll go now. We'll have enough time before class." Then he stood up, and I did the same.

I followed him through the little path, which he had remembered, something he wouldn't forget from this night. He seemed tired when he made his way to his car, but I was wide awake, fully aware.

I sat down in the passenger seat, the door flung open, watching as he paced in front of the hood of his hearse, trying to wake up. I wondered what he was thinking, about last night, because I couldn't get anything from his expression. At all. I mean his expression was always impossible, except for his signature smirk-

"Morning, felon. Have a good night?" A voice asked, and my eyes widened for a moment, surprised.

Oh, _JT. _

I looked up at him to see this amused expression and rolled my eyes, knowing I couldn't really talk to him. Not with Eli here. But of course, he taunted me, making sure to speak with a sarcastic tone, "Oh, I know, you must have had a good night, considering all that time you spent with _Eli._" I rolled my eyes, ignoring the inevitable blush that burned on my cheeks.

"Clare?" Eli asked, and my head spun to look at him. He was getting into the driver's seat.

"Yeah, Eli?" I asked, glancing at JT for the swiftest moment. His expression was...concerned. This _couldn't_ be good.

"What are you looking at?" I heard JT let out a breath, relieved Eli didn't really...see him, I guess.

JT stood behind me, telling me what to say so I wouldn't seem _crazy, _"Okay, ask if he didn't see the bird there?" I furrowed my eyebrows, _bird?_ That wasn't exactly what I was expecting from the 'great James Tiberius Yorke'.

"Eli...you didn't see a bird there?" I asked, putting on a mask of confusion.

"No," he hesitated, looking past me. "I didn't see anything."

I waited for JT to say something, but the car was silent for a moment. More than a moment, several. Then, "Act confused for a moment." came from behind me. I did what I was told, looking at Eli innocently, letting my mind wander into a confused state. "Okay, no you should be thinking, tell him you probably didn't get enough sleep. You see things when you're tired."

I bit my lip, which wasn't one of the instructions. How did he know that I saw things when I was tired?

Of course I didn't let myself focus on that sentence and moved on, starting to speak to Eli. "Oh..." I paused, figuring out how to phrase the rest of the explanation. "I guess I just saw it then, probably didn't get enough sleep last night." I shrugged, smiling slightly at him. "I see things when I get tired."

He nodded, accepting my argument without over analyzing it. Then he smiled and gestured for me to close the door, JT stepped out of the way and I did. Then I buckled my seat belt, and he explained, a little later than expected, "We should probably get going." I nodded as he started driving.

**Kinda short, I know. **

**But it's a _nice _chapter...**

**Tell me what you think?**

**And sorry about the delay, I was trying to figure out how to end this chapter. **


	8. This isn't my fault

I bit my lip, flipping through my history book. There was an exam last hour and I couldn't think, it was like I forgot everything I had learned in that class. I was distracted, and not even by the dead guy who followed me around this campus. It was the boy, the boy who I met nearly two months ago and had spent a lot more time with than I had with my old friends in a _long_ while.

I wasn't even sure what happened with Eli last night, and it was all _JT's _fault, just like what happened to me while I was studying.

"Hey, Clare," a familiar voice echoed, sitting down across from me.

I looked up to see KC's friendly smile greeting me. I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why the shaggy haired ex-boyfriend was sitting across from me. Not like I was going to ask him _that._ I put on a fake smile and turned my head in faux friendliness "Hi, KC."

He smiled, leaning his elbows onto the table. "So," he paused, closing his eyes to think of the next sentence. I bit my lip as he continued. "Remember when you told me about your method acting, and how you are trying out for some lead?"

I nodded slowly, exaggerating that fake smile while the words _"Uh, oh"_ streamed through my mind. I glanced at him, "Go on..."

KC smiled a little wider, "Well, I wanted to help you with that. Like run lines or something." Then he paused and I saw a sense of seriousness cross over his face. "You know... to try and make it up to you. For what I did."

I bit my lip, looking down. It wasn't something I wanted to revisit.

This was the moment I needed JT, and he wasn't here, so I tried to improvise. "Thanks KC, but you don't have-" I looked up and saw the look of sadness that crossed over his face. I couldn't take it, all he wanted to do was make it up to me, the best he could. I sighed and looked at him, "Actually... running lines would-"

Suddenly JT flew in, running toward the table. His shoes squeaked on tile ground as he tried to stop. It was loud and made my ears hurt, but of course, _only _my ears. He looked at me with these annoyed eyes, "_What are you _doing_!" _I rolled my eyes and turned back to KC, who was now looking at me strangely, to finish my sentence, "Be helpful. Thank you."

I smiled, ignoring JT's disgusted look.

KC shrugged and shot me a smile, "Well, I just leave you to study."

I nodded in reply and watched as he stood up and left. As soon as the doors closed behind him, I turned to JT and frowned at the way he was breathing harder, deciding what to do with what just happened. "Clare, you idiot! What were you thinking?"

I shook my head furiously, "No. You got me into this, you told him I was 'method acting' in the first place. This is your fault!"

He groaned and sat down next to me, "You keep making me think too much."

I rolled my eyes, "Good, I doubt you did it enough when you were _alive_."

He glanced at me, serious for nearly a second before he burst out laughing, me joining in. A smile appeared on my face, and in between breathless chuckles, he smiled and explained, "I'll think of something. Get you a script, but you don't make the part. Not that hard."

I nodded, agreeing with him. "Not that hard."

I hope that didn't jinx it. Since that seems to be the pattern of my life.

**SHORT. I know. **

**But I'm on vacation for the next couple days, so forgive me, my amazing readers(;**

**ANYWAYS. I will try to write something tomorrow, but it will probably be my other story, polar opposites. To get there, click on my username and click on "Polar Opposites."**

**Love you(:**


	9. Just Like A Child

I bit my lip, looking around the theater room. No one was there, just JT and I. I sighed, knowing if someone walked in they would only see _me _and who knows what trouble I'd be in. I set my eyes on JT, who was sifting through the archives of old scripts the theater room had.

"JT, what if someone walks in?" I whined. It seemed I _always_ thought he was crazy.

He chuckled, picking up one of the scripts and flipping through it. "Clare, I'm a ghost. You don't think I know when there's someone walking down the hall?" I scoffed and he shrugged, tossing the script over his shoulder. "I guess not." JT rolled his eyes, picking up another one. "I never get enough credit." 

I shook my head and sat down in front of the little piano they had in here. I had no idea how to play it, so I turned in the seat to watch him. He was looking for a script that KC could help me with. He promised that he would fix the little lie that he set me up for. I sighed, wondering if I could use this time to find out more of what I wanted to know. "Hey, JT?"

He hummed a soft "what?" distantly, picking up _Romeo and Juliet _for a moment before stuffing it back in the box.

"You know what I just noticed?" I paused, but he just nodded, expecting me to just go on. So I did, "I just noticed that you know a lot about me and I don't know a whole lot about you."

Still unsuspecting, he chuckled. "You _just _noticed?"

I rolled my eyes, "Okay, no. I noticed a while ago. But I'm bringing it up _now._" He chuckled again, clearly amused. But he wasn't looking at me, he was looking through the scripts. "So I'm going to start with something simple; why are you 'helping' me?"

He shook his head, this sense of seriousness falling over him. "We already went through this." 

"And I didn't get a real answer!"

"Yes you did!" He argued, turning to face me. "I told you that you remind me of someone I love." He shook his head as I watched the anger flooded his face, his cheeks and ears getting red. But he shook it away quickly and it was replaced with a weak expression that sent my mind reeling. "You remind me of the person I still love, you're like her. In some ways." He sighed, avoiding my gaze. "I had to help you, you're like _Liberty._"

I sighed, watching him as his eyes dropped to the floor. "Why aren't you helping her?"

He shook his head. "I don't think she'd be able to see me. And I don't think I could watch her anyway."

I bit my lip, still staring at him. I knew I'd stepped into a fragile subject. "Why?"

JT took a while to answer, and I knew that his voice was probably starting to shake, something he wouldn't let me see. He took a moment to compose himself and spoke weakly. "Because," He paused. "If she was with someone else... I don't think I could take it." He shook that out of his system and turned to me. "But I want to know about everyone else. You told me you'd find out about everyone else!"

I stepped backwards, a little stunned by the way he turned hurt into anger. "I know, I did promise. I'll do it right now, since school already finished."

He sighed, nodding. But what he asked me, well it didn't seem as relevant as I expected. "You understand me, right?"

At that moment, he sounded like a child, one who'd had his emotions played with him too many times. I knew he didn't want a really complicated answer, he didn't want to step back into those fragile subjects. "Yeah, I understand you."

"Good."

And with that I pushed open the doors to the theater and headed to the Dot.

"Clare, long time no see," Peter smiled, leaning against the counter at the Dot.

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah, haven't talked to you since... Darcy."

He shrugged, rubbing his towel on the counter in a weak attempt to clean it. "Yeah, I know. It has been a while. How is she anyway?" He bit his lip and I sighed. I'd heard about what he'd gone through the past year. I heard about the Crystal Meth and his girlfriend, Mia, leaving.

I shrugged. "She's been okay. But, I haven't spoken to her in a while."

Peter nodded slowly, throwing his towel to the side. "Anyway, this is about you. What's up?" He smiled encouragingly, in a "I'm_ here_" sort of way. He always was a nice boyfriend to Darcy. Meaning, he spent some time with me when I was younger. "Seems things have changed a bit since we have spoken," he added, gesturing to my eyes and my hair.

I laughed softly. "Yeah, they have a bit. But other than the look, not much has changed." I shrugged, smiling slightly at him.

"Have a boyfriend yet?" He asked playfully, a slight smirk on his lips. I rolled my eyes playfully.

"I don't know. Do _you _have a girlfriend yet?" He raised an eyebrow, obviously he didn't expect that. JT and Eli have rubbed off on me recently. "Actually, I don't. Yet."

Peter nodded. "Gotten a little snarky, I see."

I laughed, smiling a little wider. Peter was a lot of fun, at least to me. "Anyway... how's college?"

He shook his head, smiling slightly before getting a glass of water and handing it to me. I shrugged and nodded to say "thanks". "I know you _didn't _come here to ask me about my education. You're smart, but I know you could care less."

I scoffed, but it wasn't something I was good at acting at. He smirked and I sighed. "I need some help."


	10. I Wonder If They Think About Him

"Okay," Peter began, flicking his blonde hair to the side. I bit my lip, wondering exactly how exactly I was supposed to explain what I needed to know. Mostly because I wasn't sure what I actually _wanted_ to know. "How can I help you?" He asked, continuing to rub the dirty counter with that rag of his.

"Well…" I paused, knowing it would sound strange when I tried to ask him all this. "Do you know some of the people from Degrassi… the ones who were around when it was like… 2001?"

He shrugged, pausing to think. Softly he repeated "2001, 2001," like he was trying to connect the dates with the people. Finally he nodded and bit his lip, "Well, I know a few. Spinner Mason, for one. If you know him…" I shrugged and shook my head slightly, wondering if JT knew him. "And I know… Emma."

I nodded a bit, remembering JT saying something about her once. "Emma… she was around back then. When JT—"

I shook my head, ignoring when a light sprang in Peter's eyes. I was such an _idiot_.

"JT, eh?" I blushed and looked down, only looking up to nonchalantly sip my water. "Yeah, she was around back then, she knew him really well, too. Not that I did," he continued, tapping a unfamiliar beat on the counter. "But I'm sure you know what happened to him." He shrugged, looking at the clock for a moment. "So this is what you're doing, trying to find out about him…?"

I guess this was my shovel, my opportunity to dig myself out. If only I knew how to _dig_. "No, actually. I'm doing an article, for the school newspaper, since JT died four years ago."

He nodded, urging me to go on. I nodded and twisted the straw between my thumb and forefinger.

"And I wanted to see what happened to his friends, how they _moved on_ after the death of their friend." I paused, thinking through my sentence over and over again, wondering if he would believe it. I wasn't sure, since he hadn't said a word, just sort of closed his eyes, like he was looking for some sort of loophole in my statement. Finally he nodded and looked at me, indicating that he believed what I said. _Oh, of course he believed what I said, everyone did. I was _St. Clare.

"Well…" Peter sort of let the sentence trail for a couple seconds, like he was deciding how to explain something to me. I just bit my lip, waiting for him to finish. "That's a …er… delicate subject. But, I guess that's a good idea for an article."

I nodded, letting my shoulders jerk up in a short shrug. I hesitated then said, "Well, someone has to do it."

He nodded. "True, and I'm not surprised it's you." He offered a weak smile. "If anyone can make a good article with such a sad subject, it would be Darcy's little genius sister." He paused for a moment and I looked down. I had been a long time since I was referred to as Darcy's little sister, since I barely saw her anymore. Besides, she wasn't in the school anymore; no one really knew who my older sister was anymore. But of course, I would always be that to Peter, his ex-girlfriend's smart little sister. And I wasn't sure if I had a problem with that.

"Wow," I muttered unintentially. "It's been a long time since I've been called_ that._"

I wasn't very quiet, though, not as quiet as I used to be. Peter caught it and replied, saying, "Yeah, I'm sure it has." He bit his lip, his mind surely going to Darcy.

I hadn't heard much about any of his other girlfriends, I knew about Emma, and then I remembered seeing him with that curly-haired girl around school; the model. Maybe he met someone else after that, maybe he didn't. I guess this wasn't the time to ask about that, actually it wasn't my _right _to ask him about that. I mean, I only knew him through Darcy.

"Umm, anyway…" Peter began, pulling himself back to reality." About your article, do you want me to give you their numbers or something…?"

I shook my head, the question sort of sending me into alarm mode. I mean, then I'd need JT's help and I would have to go through… "No… I don't really need _that _much information; can you just tell me anything you know about them?"

He nodded. "Oh, wow. I guess I can start with Emma, since I saw her not to long ago." He bit his lip, pausing to recall the memory. "Well a little while ago, maybe a month, she came by here; she quit college and finished her bike riding thing… Clare, don't you need to, like, write this down?"

"Oh," I said, a bit surprised at the realization I was _just _listening, and I might need more than that. "Yeah, I'll just… record it."

He nodded as I dug through my pockets for my phone; I quickly put in the keystrokes and started the video recording. It had hours of life on it, enough for me to show JT. Peter gave me a small smile before repeating himself. Then he continued about Emma, moving on to Spinner, and from that Manny. He went on from there, saying whatever he knew. I listened, wondering how each person was connected to JT, was Manny his girlfriend, or his best friend? Was Emma like a sister to him, or had he never really cared about her at all? He didn't mention Liberty in the half-hour or so he was talking, I was a little disappointed at that, but JT didn't want to know about her anyway.

And then I wondered how often they thought about _him. _

**Sorry it's kind of short.**

**And sorry I took forever to post this chapter.**

**Had a bit of writer's block, I'm sure you know how that feels. D:**

**May include a bit of Eclare in the next chapter, or Klare, for that matter. **

**Must get on with this story soon. Although, it may be less frequent since school is starting in just a few days.**

**Opinions may help with inspiration… (:**


	11. I Have to Get To Class

**Author's note: Hey, guys, I'm sorry. I haven't updated this story since September, which really makes no sense because I actually loved the premise of this fiction. I guess school got in the way and such, I'm sure you all know how that feels. **

**But lately there's been this incline, these random reviews and story follows that has been showing up in my inbox, and well, in the absence of new Degrassi episodes, I think it's time to get lost in my writing again.**

**So here it is, the long-awaited 11th chapter.**

**Oh, and sorry if I get any facts wrong, if anything in the story changes, even in the slightest bit, it's been a long time.**

With the Aid of An Angel

I set my textbook down next to me, the pencil rolling off and falling to the bench, making the softest thud as it hit the wood. Leaning back against the glass wall that separated the few sitting in here, studying, from the rest of Degrassi, I looked down on my book, not being able to focus. To be honest, it'd been a few days since I've seen JT, he hadn't been cruising around school, his hands in his pockets like he was another one of the regular students here, as usual. I hadn't been able to tell JT about what I'd found out about Spinner, Emma, Mia and Manny yet.

There was a tap along the glass wall and my eyes suddenly snapped to the door of the room, this sweet smile seeming to move along my lips when I saw who was standing there.

Of course, it wasn't really who I was looking for, but it may have been better, Eli. He had that ever-present smirk that seemed to dance across his lips as he leaned against the door frame, taking a moment to push himself to his feet and walk over to me, quiet and graceful enough that he didn't bother the few who were studying. Eli sat down next to me, carefully moving my folder to the other side. "Hey, blue eyes," He said with a smile.

I guess he'd acquired that nickname for me, ever since I met him that first day and he'd looked at me and said, "You have pretty eyes." I had a feeling that first meeting would always be an echo for us, it was, of course, the reason we're close now. He noticed me without my glasses before anyone— anyone I even knew— noticed.

"Hi, Eli," I said, taking a moment to organize my books, while still remaining focused on him.

Really, I wasn't sure where we were right now. Sure, I'd said a few clever things when we'd last hung out, but I still hadn't felt his lips touch mine yet, even though we both knew we were met to be. Well, at least I knew, and I was sure he did to. How could he not?

"Clare," he began, his eyes moving over me quickly. I wondered what was on his mind, since I hadn't been able to tell from the way he looked at me. They always say that's the way to truly understand someone, at least, that's how it works in the movies. But of course, Eli, the first person I'd actually been crushing on like this, was virtually unreadable.

Somehow, with everything going on in my life right now, that's the only problem I've really been worrying about. "Yeah?" I asked, my voice remaining cool and collected, just as I had wanted it to.

"Okay, I'll just be straightforward with this-" Eli added, but was soon cut off.  
"Clare! Clare!" A voice called, interrupting Eli. I looked to my left to see the wispy-haired boy I'd been missing for the past couple days standing there, his eyes wide, hair swept back, as if he'd run the whole way here. I glanced at the halls, nothing looked touched, nor mussed, but I guess when you're a ghost, it wouldn't even effect anything. My eyebrow quirked as he walked over, leaning over to me, a hand pressed against the glass.

I bit my lip, looking back to Eli. I was supposed to ignore him, before Eli decided I was deranged and moved on. At least, that's what I would think if I started speaking to thin air.

There was really no need to ignore JT, though, because Eli's eyes were no longer focused on me. They had moved over to JT, watching him with curious eyes, eyebrows arched as he decided what to make of this clearly-disheveled seventeen year old. My eyes widened as I looked back at the ghost, searching for an explanation.

If any moment of confusion managed to pass through his mind, he concealed it pretty well. "Clare, I uh, saw Mia this weekend. I have to tell you about it, today after school?"

I shrugged, trying to remain composed as I shrugged my shoulders, knowing from the gaze Eli had kept, moving his focus to me, it didn't seem very natural. "Uh, okay. Got it..." I hesitated, not knowing if I should say JT. Would that give it away, who he was? Maybe I should say something else. "James," I added, the name seeming alien and un-fitting to him, he was too playful for such a serious name.

He raised an eyebrow and muttered a quick excuse to get away, "Well, I have class. See you later, Clare." He nodded a goodbye to Eli, remembering not to address him, Eli never having told him his name. JT headed out the door and my eyes moved back to Eli.

His face was set in a smirk, but it wasn't as contagious as it had seemed before. It wasn't as Eli-esqe as I had expected. He just shook his head and muttered the same excuse, "Gotta get to class. Later, Clare."

He didn't say "blue eyes". He didn't say anything.

_Oh, great._


End file.
